Partner organizations

There are many other agencies and regulatory bodies that impact small businesses. Those agencies will also offer resources to help small businesses understand how the requirements apply to them and what to do about it. We have included some of those agencies and resources here.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

In addition to environmental requirements, businesses are responsible for ensuring the health and safety of their employees. These requirements are administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Below are some helpful links to get you started.

Free on-site OSHA consultation services are available to small and mid-sized private sector employers through the Wisconsin Safety Consultation Program (WisCon).

OSHA's Small Business Handbook is a guide to creating a safety and health management system at your facility and includes checklists for self-inspection.

For more in-depth information on OSHA regulations, visit Compliance Assistance Quick Start.

Need more assistance? OSHA has four area offices in Wisconsin: Madison, Milwaukee, Appleton and Eau Claire. Each office has a compliance assistance specialist who can answer your questions and help you navigate OSHA regulations. Contact the office nearest you.

Department of Administration

Business interesting in contracting with the State of Wisconsin to provide services must set up an account through the Department of Administration (DOA) eSupplier Portal. The Wisconsin eSupplier Portal for bidders provides easy access to information about state agency bidding opportunities related to purchases of goods and services. This portal will also be the source for bidders to manage their company information. This is a replacement for VendorNet.

Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection

The Bureau of Weights and Measures at DATCP regulates both fuel quality and the storage tanks for petroleum and other hazardous substances. Review fact sheets under those headings for more information: Weights and Measures Bureau Fact Sheets.

Department of Health Services

Finding asbestos in a building planned for demolition can feel like a roadblock to getting your project started. However, simple notification to the proper agency and finding the right crew that knows how to properly clean up the contamination doesn’t have to be complicated. For residential building clean up, look at the Asbestos Program pages at the Department of Health Services..

Department of Revenue

Department of Revenue (DOR) established a business outreach program called BDGR (Business Development and Government Relations) in 2019. Today the program assists businesses on a wide range of issues through the BDGR website. The BDGR website draws together federal, state, and local business resources to help community members start and grow their businesses, learn about tax incentives and the current workforce outlook, along with so much more.

The BDGR program works closely with various businesses, chambers of commerce, business development groups, and economic development professionals through webinars and roundtables. The roundtable locations are determined by requests from economic development leaders for an economic outlook discussion and by targeting areas within the state not previously visited by DOR and the BDGR program.

The general format for webinars and roundtables is an hour-long discussion kicked off by local leaders and followed by the DOR Secretary presenting the most recent initiatives impacting businesses. DOR economists then share the latest data on the state and regional economic outlook. The events include an open discussion at the end to share additional data and perceptions on the local and regional economy along with steps that should be considered to strengthen collaboration between private and public sectors and state and local governments as well as other key organizations.

Department of Workforce Development

Department of Workforce Development (DWD) assists new business owners with learning about responsibilities and resources as the business starts up. DWD divisions, including Equal Rights, Employment & Training, Unemployment Insurance, Vocational Rehabilitation and Worker's Compensation can help a new business owner find what is needed to help their business grow.

The Downloadable Resource Packet for Wisconsin Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs compiles relevant services to increase the accessibility of DWD and the Job Center of Wisconsin. The resources are listed individually and also available as a single download on their webpage.

Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) is committed to creating and maintaining a strong business climate. They support business development, advance industry innovation, connect to global markets and develop a talented workforce to help Wisconsin realize its full economic potential. They are your liaison to more than 600 statewide partners, including regional economic development organizations, academic institutions and industry groups.

Small Business Development Centers

The Wisconsin Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is a statewide network supporting entrepreneurs and business owners through no-cost, confidential consulting and business education. Also, the Wisconsin SBDC is one of five programs at the Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship, part of the University of Wisconsin System, which provides specialized resources and helps clients craft personalized plans to grow their businesses. Find contacts on their website or call their Business Answer Line: (800) 940-7232.

SCORE

Whether you are thinking of starting a new business, have recently started one or are interested in growing an existing business, SCORE offers the help that you need. A unique benefit offered by SCORE is the availability of mentors who not only do one-on-one consulting but also are committed to working with you over the long-term to help you continuously along your way as required. They also offer a range of workshops on business, targeted to different business stages, covering topics related to financing, business plans, marketing, accounting, taxes, and so on. There are over a dozen locations throughout Wisconsin and multiple options to connect with a virtual mentor: SCORE WI.

National Small Business Environmental Assistance Programs

U.S. EPA does set national requirements that must be followed in every state. However, every state may also have some unique requirements compared to any others. The National SBEAP website provides links to other state assistance programs so that if you have a business office in another state in addition to Wisconsin, you can find a resource to help you with those requirements.